4 India stars ignored for IND vs NZ 2026 despite strong Vijay Hazare Trophy form ft. Sanju Samson
The first ODI against New Zealand will be played in Vadodara on Sunday, January 11. The second and third ODIs will take place in Rajkot and Indore on January 14 and January 18, respectively. In this article, we look at four Indian star players who were ignored by the selectors despite strong performances in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced a 15-member squad for the ODI series against New Zealand. Captain Shubman Gill and vice-captain Shreyas Iyer have returned to the team after recovering from injuries. They have replaced Tilak Varma and Ruturaj Gaikwad in the squad.
Meanwhile, all-rounder Hardik Pandya and fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah have been rested for the three-match series.
The first ODI against New Zealand will be played in Vadodara on Sunday, January 11. The second and third ODIs will be held in Rajkot and Indore on January 14 and January 18, respectively.
In this article, we take a look at four star Indian players who were ignored by the selectors despite strong performances in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
1. Sanju Samson
Sanju Samson made a strong return to List-A cricket by scoring 101 runs off 95 balls against Jharkhand in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. His innings included three sixes and nine fours. Kerala won the match by eight wickets.
This was Samson’s fourth List-A century. He last played an ODI for India in 2023, when he scored 108 against South Africa in Paarl. The 31-year-old has scored 510 runs in 16 ODIs at an average of 56.66, including one century and three half-centuries.
Despite this, Rishabh Pant has kept his place as the backup wicketkeeper to KL Rahul in the Indian team.
2. Tilak Varma
Hyderabad captain Tilak Varma scored his sixth List-A century against Chandigarh in the Vijay Hazare Trophy on Saturday, January 3. The left-handed batter made 109 runs off 118 balls, hitting three sixes and six fours. His knock helped Hyderabad register their first win of the tournament by 136 runs.
Tilak Varma recently played in the ODI series against South Africa. He was included in the playing XI for the third ODI, but India did not need him to bat. Even after his strong domestic form, he was left out of the ODI squad, which came as a surprise.
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3. Axar Patel
Gujarat all-rounder Axar Patel scored his maiden List-A century against Andhra in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He smashed 130 runs off 111 balls, including five sixes and ten fours.
Axar also impressed with the ball, picking up 2 wickets for 27 runs in six overs. His all-round performance helped Gujarat win the match by seven runs.
Axar last played an ODI series for India against Australia, where he took three wickets in three matches. He also scored 31 and 44 in two innings. However, Ravindra Jadeja replaced him in the next ODI series against South Africa and has kept his place in the squad against New Zealand.
4. Mohammad Shami
Mohammad Shamicontinued his good form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, taking 3 wickets for 55 runs as Bengal defeated Assam by 85 runs. He has picked up 11 wickets in five matches at an economy rate of 5.65 in the tournament.
Shami was also impressive in the 2025 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he took 16 wickets in seven matches at an economy rate of 8.93. In the ongoing 2025–26 Ranji Trophy season, he has taken 20 wickets in four matches.
Despite his consistent performances, the selectors have ignored him. India have continued with Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana for the ODI series against New Zealand. Shami last played an ODI against New Zealand during the 2025 Champions Trophy, where India went on to win the title.
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